All That Matters
by MOLLY THE MONSTER
Summary: Scorpius is tired of always trying to live up to his father's expectations. It seems Rose Weasley is the only one who seems to understand. It started off as just a fling, but when he almost loses Rose, he realizes it is so much more. Scorrose of course!


All That Matters

By Molly The Monster

_Setting: sometime during the school year, 2022_

_Prompt: when love first grows_

"You know what, Scorpius? Just don't talk to me again, okay? Ever. I'll find a new Potions partner."

The words stung. A lot more than he ever thought that they would. What he and Rose had...it was nothing. Just a bit of fun. Just a bit of rebellion. Rose was tired of always trying to do the right thing to please her parents and Scorpius was tired of trying to live up to the expectation that he was the perfect child, always trying to live up to the impossible standards that his father had.

His grades were perfect. He took classes he had no interest in. He played Quidditch even though he preferred to watch. He was friends with the people his father wanted him to be friends with and he didn't talk to the people he knew his father would disapprove of. Namely the Weasleys and the Potters.

His father had never outright said he couldn't talk to them. His father, in fact, had said that he had the utmost respect for both families. But he also said that the Malfoys didn't associate with them.

So, in a way, Rose had been his way of rebelling. And, as Rose always said, Scorpius was her way of proving she wasn't the perfect little angel that everyone seemed to think she was.

It had been a fling. That was all. A way to show everybody that they weren't who everyone thought they were. That they had the ability to make their own choices and do whatever they wanted.

Of course, no one had _known_ about their little fling. So maybe it was just their way to prove to _themselves_ that they were more than what everyone thought they were.

It had been fun. Sneaking around and keeping secrets was always fun. And it made everything more exciting. But as Rose walked away, ending whatever it was that they had, he felt a weird sort of emotion. He wasn't sad that he was losing his make-out buddy; he was sad that he was losing _Rose_. That she just walked away so easily. Like he never meant anything to her.

And why should he? They weren't in a relationship. They weren't dating. They were just two, hormonal sixteen year olds who occasionally enjoyed making out in an empty classroom or random broom closet. Two hormonal sixteen year olds who used each other to get back at their parents. It was nothing more than that.

It had all started nine weeks previous. Somehow they had ended up working together in Potions Class. Rose said she normally worked with her cousin Roxanne, but Roxanne had dropped Potions. Scorpius had always worked with his friend Anthony, but Anthony didn't take NEWT level Potions either.

Scorpius had been very intrigued when Rose made the proposal to work together. Why would perfect little Rose Weasley ever want to work with him? He didn't really care. He just knew that his father wouldn't like it, so he had immediately taken her up on her offer. Besides, it would be nice to work _with_ Rose instead of always trying to beat her. He was really starting to get sick of it.

They were, of course, the best pair in the class. They always finished before everyone else. Their potions always turned out better than anyone else's. Professor Tremlett doted on them, constantly showing off their work to the rest of the class. It gave Scorpius almost as much satisfaction as it did Rose.

It had been Rose who initiated the first meeting. One day, right before the end of class, she asked about Quidditch. She didn't play, but her cousin James was the captain of Gryffindor and her cousin Fred played too. He was disinterested in the conversation, and she had the audacity to ask him, "Do you even _like_ Quidditch?" Scorpius had shrugged and told her he liked to watch. He never realized how much nerve his red headed partner had until she asked, "Then why do you play?" He had responded with a shrug again and said, "Because my father wants me to."

"Do you always do what daddy says?" Rose had asked, a sly smile on her face.

Scorpius raised his eyebrows. "No." But he knew he was lying.

"Prove it," she challenged, sliding him a piece of parchment before leaving class.

_Seventh floor corridor, seven o'clock, Lochlan the Lanky_.

And that was how it all started. Scorpius had been wary at first. But she was challenging him. And he was never one to turn down a challenge. Especially not one by Rose Weasley. He always wanted to beat her at everything. So he had to accept her challenge.

* * *

><p>Seven o'clock and Scorpius found himself standing next to the statue of Lachlan the Lanky in the seventh floor corridor. He leaned one shoulder against the statue, arms crossed over his chest, one ankle crossed over the other. Weasley was no where in sight and he wondered if maybe this was some kind of joke. Still, he stuck it out, just to see what the joke was about.<p>

After several minutes, Scorpius was about ready to call it quits when out of the corner of his eye he spotted the very girl he was waiting for walking down the hall.

"You're late," said Scorpius teasingly, raising a blond brow at Rose.

"And you actually showed up," said Rose, sounding rather surprised as she approached him.

"Did you think I wouldn't?" asked Scorpius when Rose stopped next to him.

Rose shrugged. "I wasn't sure."

Scorpius looked into her face, her eyes, trying to figure out what she was thinking. But her expression was unreadable. After a few moments of silence, Scorpius finally spoke. "So what am I doing here, Weasley?"

A smile slowly appeared on Rose's face. "I have something to show you," she said, a mischievous glint in her eye.

When Rose began walking down the hall, Scorpius just rolled his eyes and followed her. She was a strange one, that Rose Weasley.

She stopped in front of a door and swung it open. Scorpius peered in curiously.

"A broom cupboard?" he asked, confusion evident in his voice.

"It's _in_ the broom cupboard," said Rose impatiently.

Scorpius rolled her eyes. He had no idea where she was going with this, but he went along with it anyway. He went into the tiny broom cupboard and began feeling in his pockets for his wand to get some light. Rose followed behind and closed the door.

What was this girl thinking? Was she absolutely mental?

"Rose–" Scorpius began, turning around to face her. But before he could speak and before he could even figured out what was happening, Rose grabbed the front of his robes, pulled him to her and pressed her lips against his.

Rose Weasley..._Rose Weasley_ brought him to a broom cupboard to...kiss him?

When Scorpius was finally able to make sense of the situation, he put his hands on her shoulders and pushed her away gently. "Weasley," he said hesitantly. He couldn't see her in the dark, but his hands were on her shoulders, so he had an idea of where she was and he imagined he was looking at her face.

"What?" she asked.

"What the hell do you think you're doing?"

Rose didn't respond right away. "I'm proving I'm not the girl everyone thinks I am," she said finally.

"And what girl is that?"

"A brainy, prefect, daddy's girl, carbon copy of my mother, goody two shoes destined to be Head Girl who never breaks the rules or does anything unexpected," said Rose, like she'd thought about this before. That was a pretty accurate description of Rose Weasley. At least, it was always the impression that Scorpius had of her.

Scorpius hesitated before speaking. "So basically you're using me to piss of your dad?" said Scorpius, trying to get everything straight.

"And my cousins."

Ah, yes. Her cousins. Plenty of people disliked Scorpius Malfoy. They all had their ideas of who he was. They all thought they knew him. And therefore, they all hated him. But no one more than James and Albus Potter. And if James and Albus did it, Fred followed along, Hugo followed along, Roxanne followed along, Lily followed along...they all followed along.

"Okay," said Scorpius.

"Okay?" asked Rose, seemingly confused by his response.

"My dad would hate the idea of a Weasley shoving her tongue down my throat," said Scorpius with a smirk. It was true. Draco Malfoy would hate that more than anything. Of course, his father would never find out about it. But it didn't matter. Just doing it was enough for Scorpius. He didn't do everything his father told him to do. He didn't need his father's approval on everything.

"So this will be our secret?" Rose asked.

"Our secret," responded Scorpius before he pulled her closer and pressed his mouth to hers.

* * *

><p>And that's where it had all began. In Potions they would be civil to each other. Often Rose tried to butt in on his personal life. Comment on Scorpius's relationship with his father and the works. "You know, you shouldn't play Quidditch just because your father wants you to." "You don't need his approval for everything." "You don't always have to be perfect, Scorpius."<p>

Sometimes he wondered if she was talking about him or her. It was strange. He never thought it would be possible, but Weasley–Rose–she seemed to understand him. She seemed to get him. And she was easy to talk to. Sometimes he'd brush her off, but they were in Potions together for an hour and fifteen minutes. So they talked. About how they were always competing. About their parents' expectations. About the pressure they felt. About anything and everything that came to mind.

He never expected to bond with Rose. And he often told himself he wasn't bonding with her. He was just talking because if he didn't talk, he'd have to listen to her irritating voice.

And then they'd meet in the seventh floor broom cupboard and swap spit. That was their deal.

But now it was over. And he felt an overwhelming feeling of sadness and grief. He didn't just lose the girl he was making out with a few times a week. He lost a friend. Perhaps the only real friend he ever had. The one person in the world who seemed to understand him. The one person who he realized he didn't want to lose. The one person who he...no. He didn't. He couldn't.

But the more he dwelled on it, the more he realized it. It was so obvious. It was right there. Staring him in the face. It couldn't have been anymore obvious if it had ran up to him and punched him in the face.

He was in love with Rose Weasley.

* * *

><p>He had to find her. He had to tell her. He had to tell her right away. He couldn't wait any longer. He couldn't believe it had taken him this long to realize it. It was so obvious. It was so completely, totally and painfully obvious. Why did it have to take almost losing her to realize it?<p>

He was frantic. He had to tell her. He had to tell her right then. He couldn't wait a second more. But how was he going to find her?

Of course. She was angry. She probably wanted to be alone. There was only one place Rose Weasley would go.

Scorpius immediately took off for the library. Where else would she go? She wouldn't want to be around her cousins, because they'd just pester her about why she was angry. And he knew she wouldn't feel like explaining it to them. And since there was absolutely zero chance of her running into her cousins in the library, he knew that's where she would be.

It almost scared him that he knew that. But the truth of the matter was he _knew_ Rose. And he knew her well. And she was the only person who really knew him.

When he got to the library, he set out on his search. She would be here somewhere. He knew she would be. She'd be tucked away somewhere, hiding. He _knew _it.

He finally found her stashed away in a corner. She was reading something, though he didn't know what. The only thing he knew was that it was thick. Probably close to fifteen hundred pages. She turned a page and brushed hair out of her eyes. As she brushed her hair away, she looked up, catching a glimpse of the blond boy standing ten feet in front of her. When she caught his eye, she rolled her eyes and scoffed.

That hurt.

Scorpius moved toward her and leaned against the table. "I need to talk to you," he whispered.

Rose looked up and narrowed her eyes at him. Her eyes were red and puffy. She–she had been crying. Scorpius could hardly believe it. Though when she spoke, she sounded angry, not upset. "I'm sorry. Didn't I tell you twenty minutes ago that I _don't_ want to talk to you?_Ever_," she spat, her voice laced with venom.

"Rose, it's important," said Scorpius desperately.

"Leave me alone!"

"No!"

They stared at each other for a moment, Scorpius feeling his jaw clenched. He was going to make her talk to him. If it was the last thing he did. After what felt like minutes of silence, Rose finally looked away. "Fine. You have two minutes." She slammed her book shut and left it on the table. She pushed past Scorpius and he followed her out of the library.

The hall was empty. Most people were probably at dinner. It was so quiet, they could have heard a pin drop. "Look, Scorpius–" Rose began.

"Let me go first," said Scorpius, cutting her off. "Look," he said, running a hand through his hair. Perhaps he should have thought about what he was going to say before now. His tongue was dry and his heart was racing. "I don't know what this is," he began, motioning between the two of them when he said 'this.' "But all I know is that whatever it is, I don't want it to end. More than that, I want it to be_real_."

Rose's face was unreadable. She just stared at him blankly, like he was speaking another language.

"You–you are the first person who I ever really felt connected to. You–you are the only real friend I've ever had," said Scorpius, pathetic as it sounded.

"What about Anthony? And Russell? And–" said Rose, like she was trying to deny what Scorpius had said. Like she was trying to prove it wasn't true.

"You mean the people my father picked out to be my friends?" asked Scorpius, shaking his head. "They're not my friends. I can't talk to them like I can talk to you. I could never tell them about the pressure my father puts on me. And they could never understand like you do. And–I just–"

"Stop," said Rose, cutting him off. "Please just stop. Don't say anything else."

"Why not?"

"Because I _don't _want to hear it," Rose snapped, turning on her heel and marching up the stairs.

She knew what he was going to say. She knew it. He knew she knew it. But it didn't matter. He still wanted her to hear it.

"Rose, wait!" Scorpius called, following her up the stairs. He grabbed her arm gently and she turned to face him. She looked up at him, staring him right in the face with her intense blue eyes. "I want to be with you. There I said it. I want to be with you for _real_. I don't want to sneak off to meet you in a broom cupboard. I want to hold your hand in the hallway and have lunch with you at the Three Broomsticks. I want–"

Rose yanked her arm away. "Stop!" she yelled, a tear escaping her eye. "Stop! Just stop!"

Scorpius felt as if his heart had dropped into his stomach. That was certainly not the reaction he was hoping for. He felt his chest tighten. "Why?" he asked, lowering his voice.

"Because–because–" Rose stammered, quickly brushing a tear from her cheek. "Because I don't want to hear that. Because I don't want that. I don't want any of that. I don't even like you. In fact, I may even hate you!"

Her words were clear, but something about her face told Scorpius that she was lying. She had to be. She had to care about him. She just had to. Because if she didn't, she wouldn't have been angry at him. She wouldn't have cried. She wouldn't be crying now. Something his mother had told him a long time ago came back into his head. 'The opposite of love isn't hate; it's indifference.'

"Really?" That was all he said. He took a step toward her, looking into her eyes.

"Really," she said immediately, though her voice cracked as she said it. She brushed another tear from her cheek. "Besides, even if I did want any of that, it would never work."

"Why?" Scorpius demanded.

"_Why_?" Rose asked, and to Scorpius's surprised she actually laughed. "You know why."

"No," said Scorpius adamantly. "I don't. Explain it to me."

Rose shook her head. "Because of who I am. Because of who _you _are!"

Scorpius didn't respond right away. He just thought of what she said to him right after the first time she kissed him. "I thought you weren't the girl everyone thought you were."

Her bottom lip began to quiver. "I don't know what I was talking about," said Rose stubbornly. "Your father wouldn't allow it. My father certainly wouldn't allow it. I would alienate my family, who also happen to be my closest friends. It would never work."

"That doesn't matter," said Scorpius, his voice rising, disgusted by the idea that they couldn't be together because of some stupid twenty something year old fight between their fathers.

"Of course it matters!" screamed Rose, stomping her foot like a stubborn child.

"No," said Scorpius gently. "It doesn't matter." He looked at the girl standing in front of him. The smart, beautiful, funny girl who understood him more than anyone in the world. The girl who made him remember he wasn't alone. The girl who somehow always made him feel relaxed. The girl who made him wonder if living up to his father's expectations was really as important as Scorpius thought it was.

Tears were falling from her eyes faster now. "Yes," she said weakly. "It does."

Scorpius moved toward her, brushing a strand of hair from her face. His hands rested behind her neck, turning her head so that she was looking at him. "If you tell me right now that you don't want to be with me because you don't feel the same way, then I'll walk away right now and never bother you again," said Scorpius, each word stinging as he said it. Walking away from her would be the hardest thing he'd ever do, but if it was what she really wanted, he would. "But if you _do_ feel the same...do you honestly think your father's hatred of me and my family is stronger than his love for you? Do you really think he hates me more than he wants to see you happy?"

"I'm scared," Rose whispered.

Scorpius brushed a tear from her cheek with his thumb. "Me too. But Rose, I want to be with you. And I think you want to be with me. And that–how we feel–that's all that matters."

"Do you really believe that?" she asked quietly.

"I do," said Scorpius, and he was certain he'd never believed anything more in his life.

She stood up on tiptoe and gently brushed her lips against his. Anyone could have seen. Anyone could have seen everything that had just gone on. But he didn't care. He _wanted_ them all to see. She ended the kiss and he pulled her close, her arms snaking around his waist, her head against his chest. "Scorpius?" she whispered.

"Yes?" he asked.

"I think I love you."

"I think I love you, too."

* * *

><p>Yayayay! This was for Lolaaaa's When Love First Grows competition. Hope I did a good job showing that! My first Scorrose ever. I've read them a ton, but I've never tried writing them. This was actually a lot of fun. I'll have to do a multi-chapter fic of them eventually. I had sooooo much I wanted to include in here. Soooo many scenes, but I didn't want this to be thirty pages long. One of my favorite things about the Next Gen is that we can do anything we want with them. This was literally so much fun to write. I'm not entirely sure how it turned out. I tried really hard to show that they really <em>had<em> established a relationship, but that's so hard to show when it was all happening in the past. I hope I did a good job! Let me know what you think!

This story is dedicated to Emullz, FloatingCloudBadger, justalittl y, keeptheotherone, lowi, Sinister Spiders, and SlightlyCrazyYetSane for reviewing my last one-shot, _A Fair Bit Of Trouble._


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